Is Your Teen Depressed? – Schedule a Consultation with a Visions Psychologist
Teen depression treatment starts within the family. Learning about the signs, symptoms, and effects of depression can help the teen and the family in several ways including;
- Family and friends can learn and understand the symptoms of the condition and how it can impact on the teen’s relationship with others, willingness towards class and school and the ability to complete assignments.
- The family learns how to make the environment safer for their depressed teen.
- Family learns about the various treatment options including the pros and cons of each option.
- And most importantly, the family can learn how to help the depressed teen.
There are three categories of teen depression; mild, moderate and major depression. Teens with mild and moderate depression can be treated with counseling (psychotherapy) alone. It is only if the depressive symptoms don’t improve in 6-12 weeks, or if the symptoms actually worsen that antidepressant medication may be recommended. Adolescents with severe depression are treated using psychotherapy programs such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy, plus one or more medications.
Psychotherapy at Visions
Psychological services at Visions are provided by contracted psychologists. These psychologists, upon receipt of a psychological treatment referral forms conduct several comprehensive assessments regarding personality characteristics, social adaptability, intellectual functioning, and screenings – to see if there are any organic dysfunctions. Visions assessments are first class, tools used are modern and the inventories and questionnaires are standardized. The psychologists have adequate projective skills to deal with clinical symptoms discovered. Information gathered from psychological assessments is used in forming interdisciplinary treatment plans and making dispositional decisions.
Initial therapy often involves identifying factors that are contributing to and sustaining the depression. Unproductive behavior patterns are changed.
Objectives of psychological services include;
- Encouraging and motivating the teens to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Helping them realize the presence of destructive behaviors in their lives and their effects on themselves, as well as their parents and friends.
- Helping the teens learn alternative behaviors that are more effective at solving their problems.
- Helping them identify and change behaviors that may cause relapse.
Click below or call 866-889-3665 to speak with a Visions professional about teen depression treatment.